KUMU NIU

The Hawaiian island of O''ahu is covered with coconut palms, but for fear of liability the vast majority of these sacred trees have been stripped of coconuts. Led by Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer and Indrajit Gunasekara, the grassroots movement ''Niu Now'' is on a mission to restore the ''niu,'' or coconut, as a fundamental food crop in Hawai''i and spread the Indigenous wisdom of ''aloha ''āina:'' loving land and serving people. ''Kumu Niu'' centers around the final planting day for a new grove of niu at the University of Hawai''i West O''ahu campus, but Niu Now''s work has only just begun.